Hedo Turkoglu tries on Portland for size

The Trail Blazers' recruitment of Hedo Turkoglu shifted into full gear Thursday when team personnel greeted the free agent forward at Portland International Airport with a welcome sign and a compact disc of Turkish music for his commute into town.

Turkoglu is in town until Saturday to see if Portland the city, and the Blazers as an organization, are where he wants to be long term. The Blazers are believed to be dangling a 5-year, $50 million deal.

"They are pretty interested, and I'm happy about it, because as a player, that's what you want, interest from teams, especially good teams," Turkoglu said. "They have been a good team the last couple of years. So to get an invitation from them makes you feel special."

While general manager Kevin Pritchard exchanged hand shakes and made introductions to his management team, athletic trainer Jay Jensen sheepishly held up the "Hedo - Welcome" sign, which was complete with two Turkish versions of "welcome." And as Jensen and Turkoglu left the airport en route to a physical, it was to the sounds of Turkish techno music, supposedly Turkoglu's favorite.

Turkoglu, 30, accepted the gestures with a warm smile, but in reality everybody knows this recruitment is less about signs or music, and more about money and fitting in to a new environment.

"Listen, of course money is important. We can't kid ourselves," Turkoglu said at the airport. "On the money side, you have to look at what's best for you. Basketball wise, you have to look at how you can continue to take steps as a player. For me, coming over here, I think it's a good chance to have that kind of run I've been having the last few years, especially with this group. They are young, good, talented guys. It's a good opportunity for me."

Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 small forward, became a free agent last week by opting out of the final year of his contract with Orlando that would have paid him $7.3 million next season. The Blazers have to wait until the league announces its salary cap on July 7, but with a team salary at $50 million, they expect to be around $8 million under the cap. With the ability to free up an additional $1.7 million by renouncing former first round picks Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland, who are both playing overseas, the Blazers figure they can offer nearly $10 million in the first year of the contract.

Standing in the way of the Blazers is Toronto, a less-successful team but one that can theoretically offer him more money if they take a go-for-broke tactic and renounce five players, including rotation players Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino.

Turkoglu declined to say whether the Blazers are the leading candidate for his services, but he noted that Portland is the first team, and first city, he has visited for interviews.

Bruce Ely/The OregonianBlazers general manager Kevin Pritchard greets Hedo Turkoglu as he arrives today at Portland International Airport to start his visit with the Trail Blazers about becoming a potential free-agent signee.

"It's hard for me to say about the situation," Turkoglu said. "I'm just happy to be here. We will see what's best for both of us."

Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Pritchard are both convinced that Turkoglu is the right piece to push the young and successful Blazers over the top and into championship contenders. Portland had 54 wins last season but was ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Houston, which suffocated Blazers stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge with double teams. With Turkoglu, the Blazers figure they will be a tough team to defend.

McMillan, who dined with Turkoglu on Wednesday night in Orlando, has been emphatic in his endorsement of Turkoglu, urging Pritchard to seal the deal. Pritchard meanwhile said he grew to admire Turkoglu even more this spring while watching him help Orlando reach the NBA Finals.

"The guy's a winner, first of all, and without a doubt, the best thing about him is he makes the players around him better," Pritchard said. "He has played in 82 playoff games, so he brings that experience we have always wanted. He's a guy who makes the right plays at the right times and is willing to take the big shot. And he's a big pick-and-roll forward who can play multiple positions.

"We need someone to get us over the hump, and we feel like he can," Pritchard said.

The Blazers' minds are made up. Turkoglu is the one. In the hours remaining until he leaves Saturday, the team must convince Turkoglu the Blazers are the right team for him.

Pritchard wouldn't get into many details of what he had in store for Turkoglu. He said there will be dinners downtown and tours of the Rose Garden and Tualatin practice facility, but no trip to Mount Hood because of time constraints.

"I want to show him the city," Pritchard said. "Part of the recruiting process is making sure he understands what the city is about in terms of how we feel about basketball and how important it is, and to show him the beauty of the city, and that he is wanted here."

Turkoglu has played nine NBA seasons - three with Sacramento, one with San Antonio, and the past five with Orlando -but said he doesn't know much about Portland the city, only Portland the basketball team.

"They are a team built on bunch of great young players. If things work out, I'm going to be the experience guy, having been in different situations and roles, in order to help guys take the next step. If I'm added here, it will be the piece they were looking for to add on the floor to make the next step."